Better Software Magazine Archive: Mar/April 2010

IN THIS ISSUE

Agile Teamwork: Three Ways to Minimize Handoffs

By Mike Cohn

Rather than rely on large handoffs between specialties, high-performing Scrum teams learn to do a little bit of everything all the time during a sprint. To do this effectively, teams must make three changes: shift from writing about requirements to talking about them, reduce the size of handoffs and make them more frequently, and pay more attention to the size of the product backlog items that they bring into their sprints.

The Unshreddable Résumé

By Heather Shanholtzer

The recent economic downturn has record numbers of job seekers pounding the pavement. Find out what you need to include on your resume to increase your chances of getting out of the paper stack and into the building for that all-important interview.

Hidden Messages

By Dan Minkin

A defect management system contains data such as how many defects have been raised, the priority and severity of individual defects, and even who is raising them. This information is regularly used by program and test management to guide decision making. In this article, Dan Minkin proves that an experienced test manager can gather useful information by looking at more than just the defect management system's data.

Selling To Your Buyer

By Scott Sehlhorst

No matter how well you've built it, no users will benefit from your product unless you can convince the buyers to purchase it. Selling to buyers is different than satisfying users—and you have to do both well to succeed. Consider the needs of the buyer as stakeholder. When you have no buyers, you have no users.

A Release Without a Tester

By Lee Copeland

In this article inspired by an unfortunate video store rental, Lee Copeland invites software organizations that think testing is expensive to try the alternative.

Working Together—Not Just Working Together

By Johanna Rothman

People collaborate—and don't—in a variety of ways. Johanna Rothman examines what happens when collaboration isn't working, and how to make it work. Watch for several barriers to collaboration including those imposed on people by the organization itself.

Demystifying Exploratory Testing

By Jonathan Kohl

Exploratory testing is a popular approach, but many testers secretly worry they might be doing it wrong. Jonathan Kohl addresses those concerns by explaining exploratory testing in ways that testers identify with.

Women Who Test connects women software professionals around the world – allowing them to share testing ideas and solutions while helping each other thrive and advance their careers.

The community is an ever-expanding group of engaged, and encouraging women who are stepping up to start meet-ups and create local chapters. Explore the existing local chapters and consider sharing and joining! WomenWhoTest.com